


Shutdown

by just_another_classic



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Politics, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 06:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17544146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_another_classic/pseuds/just_another_classic
Summary: Killian Jones is in love with the perfect woman, and now he's planning the perfect proposal. Unfortunately, real world politics are getting in his way.





	Shutdown

**Author's Note:**

> The Shutdown is officially over, so let's celebrate with fic!
> 
> But first, let me use this platform for a request. 800,000+ federal works went two pay periods without their checks. A considerably number of federal contractors won't get paid at all. Many have turned to food banks, diaper banks, and other organizations that help those in need. Because of this unexpected increase in demand, many organizations of this type are now strapped thin when it comes to available resources. I highly encourage you to donate to your local area food bank, or even those in the DC-area which have a large number of federal workers. Any help is appreciated!
> 
> Also, thanks to distant-rose for encouraging me to finish this. <3

He meets her in the summer only steps away from the White House.    
  


It’s a place he usually avoids. He loathes tourists, and the White House during the Summer is the prime tourist hub. But Liam and Elsa are visiting, and because he wants to be a good brother/tour guide, he takes them to all of the highlights. He joins them on a tour of the Capitol Building, they get lunch from one of the hot dog vendors that line the Mall. They visit two of the Smithsonians -- the American History and Natural History Museums -- before focusing everything else.   
  
By the time they get to the White House, the sweltering heat is messing with everyone, making Liam more irritable than normal, when Killian suggests popping into the Renwick for art and some much-needed AC. Elsa’s eyes light up, and Liam acquiesces, so Killian leads them away from fences and crowds to one of the Smithsonian's lesser-known galleries.   
  
There’s an exhibition with art from Burning Man or whatever outdoor festival is now hip with the youths -- maybe there is a reason Belle calls him an “old soul” -- and he wanders with his family for awhile. Just as they are about to go upstairs, Killian receives a call from his realtor about a property he’s considering, and steps outside to talk it over. It’s a quick and disappointing call -- the condo he was interested in already had a cash offer, that the seller was going to accept.    
  
To make matters worse, just as he ends the call, someone crashes into him, sending his phone flying into the hard concrete. The person who runs straight past him, dodging tourists and maneuvering down the stairs after someone else he hadn’t noticed before. 

Killian, along with a few dozen other tourists, watch the proceedings. His phone forgotten a few yards away, his stands stunned as the blonde woman chases after a man. The person she’s chasing grabs an errant red bike left alone by an unaware tourist -- rookie mistake, he thinks, the tourist will have the pay for that -- and rides along the sidewalk until he can weave into traffic, earning a blare of a horn from a disgruntled cab driver. The woman throws her hands in the air, middle fingers raised high, when she realizes she’ll be unable to catch him. 

He’s not sure what compels him to do it, but he walks over to scoop up his phone -- the screen is definitely shattered -- and then makes a beeline toward the woman. 

“Are you okay?” Killian asks. She turns at his question, and it takes Killian no time at all to realize that she’s beautiful. Green eyes and golden hair, and Killian’s always been a sucker for nice things.

“I’m fine. Annoyed, but fine.” She runs her hands through her hair, tucking it behind her ears. “That fucking asshole got away.”

“Who was he?” He doesn’t know what compelled her to chase after the man. Did he steal something of hers? An ex? It doesn’t cross his mind to wonder if she’s the problem. 

“To me? No one. But to the family he walked out on? Asshole.” At the quirk of his brow, she elaborates. “I work in bail bonds, and he skipped leaving his wife and kids to deal with the aftermath.”

“So what you’re telling me is that he probably deserved to be hit by that taxi just then.”

She cracks a small smile. “Something like that.” They fall silent for a moment, lingering but not quite knowing what to say. “Thanks for checking up on me,” the woman says finally, “you really didn’t have to.”

“Well, it’s not very often a beautiful woman crashes into you,” Killian tells her. He ducks his head, somewhat embarrassed, “I had to find out the reason why.”

Her eyes widen, and for a split-second Killian believes he has said something wrong until she gasps, “Oh shit, that was you? I really should be the one asking if you’re okay.”

He waves her off. “I’m fine. Phone’s a bit cracked, but that’s what insurance is for, right?”

Her face contorts in horror. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not big deal. Truly, I promise. In fact, watching you just now was impressive.”

Her eyes narrow. “Impressive? He got away.”

“And I’m sure you’ll catch your mark,” he says. “Someone who plows down strangers within sightline of the Secret Service doesn’t strike me as someone to be deterred.”

“Well, thanks.” Killian catches a hint of a blush, and considers it victory. “And, uh, sorry about ruining your vacation.”

“Vacation?” He quickly realizes that she assumes he’s here as a tourist. “Oh, no, my brother and his wife are the ones on vacation. I’m simply the one ferrying them around. Well, me and WMATA.”

“Well, then, I’m really sorry,” she teases. 

“Hey now, it’s only caught fire once this month.”

“Back to Good, isn’t that the motto? Speaking of Back to Good and terrible taglines, are you sure everything is fine with your phone? I can help pay for a replacement once I catch this jerk.” She shoves her phone into her pocket, and pulls out a rumpled card. “Here’s my card. You can email me an invoice or whatever.”

He reads her name, Emma Swan, printed in large serif font. He like the flow of her name, almost as much as he likes the fire in her pretty green eyes. “Emma, you truly don’t have to worry about it.”

“Just let me, okay?” Emma asks, and he finally relents. There’s no use starting a fight over it. “Look, I have to fill out a report about this, but get back to me, okay?”

He nods dumbly, watching as she runs away -- a flash of red and gold. He considers tossing her card. He has insurance, and certainly doesn’t want to make her pay for his phone -- especially after hearing her qualify “once she catches the jerk.” But there’s something about her that makes him open up his wallet and put her card in his wallet.

He still won’t make her pay for his phone.

 

-/-

 

It’s not until well after Liam and Elsa leave and he settles back into his routine that Killian and he forces himself to get his phone fixed. Had it been a simple crack, he might have let it go, but lines spider-web across the front and bits of glass begun to chip off. 

Emma Swan’s card has been burning a hole in his wallet, and not because he desires to be refunded. She is stunningly beautiful, and from his brief conversation, he’d gleaned that she was both funny and caring, and also that she appeared to have a code of honor -- something he appreciated.. He’d gone home with different women knowing far less.    


But it still takes a few shots of rum on a lonely Saturday night to gather up the courage to send her an email. Even through the haze of alcohol, he knows he likely comes across as a little odd when she sends her a snapshot of him holding his new phone -- taken with his webcam -- with a message saying it’s all fixed.

**_I know you said you wanted to pay me back, and honestly you don’t need to do it. But if you feel so inclined to make it up to me, how about dinner sometime next week?_ **

In the morning, he instantly regrets it. He has no relationship with this woman beyond a too-brief interaction, but he still feels a sense of loss at the idea of never hearing from her again. Perhaps it’s a sign he’s fully moved on Milah -- as much as one can move on from the untimely death of a loved one -- and that he’s ready to seriously again. Perhaps meeting Emma Swan was the kickstart to his future, and nothing more than that.

But perhaps not, because the following morning she responds.

__ This is a little be weird. It’s a good thing you’re cute.  _ _ _ I’ll let you pick the place, but you have to let me pay. Does n _ _ ext Friday at 7 work. PS - _ _ Not creepy sex shit. Dinner only. _

Killian smiles. 

 

-/-

 

He takes her to a place in the Eckington neighborhood, a small restaurant that serves pub fare and where the bartender knows him by name. It’s not expensive, a fact that he kept in mind when suggesting places since she insists on paying. They sit outside, away from my prying eyes of the aforementioned bartender, where they can talk and dine under the stars and glowing lights strung around for ‘ambiance’. They light makes her hair appear more golden, and it’s there where he realizes that she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. He doesn’t tell her that, believing it to be too soon to make a confession. Instead he tells her, “You look lovely tonight,” which causes her to blush and reply, “I know.”

He’s beginning to really like Emma Swan.

They trade stories over burgers and beer. She elaborates more about her role as a bailbonds woman, and he fills her in on the inner-goings of his work at the State Department. 

“I’ve gotta say, I expected you to be more of a British Embassy kind of guy,” Emma says, a hint of teasing in her voice when she finally makes note of his accent. 

“You can take the man out of Britain, but you can’t take the Britain out of man, it seems,” he replies with a wink. It’s only after that he goes on to explain that he’s technically a dual citizen, courtesy of his father. 

“I came here for school, and I suppose I never left,” he explains. There’s more to that story, of course, but the tale of his relationship with Milah is not one for first dates. It’s too serious of a topic this soon. He’ll tell her someday, if they progress that far.    
  
They stay late, and he almost regrets walking her back to her apartment. But before he leaves, he manages to ensure a second date and steal a goodnight kiss. 

So this is what the start of forever feels like. 

 

-/-

 

The more time passes, the more Killian begins to realize that his life can now be broken into “Before Meeting Emma Swan” and “After”. They go on more dates, and she helps him move into his new place once someone finally accepts his offer, and slowly but surely she becomes a fixture in his life. 

He meets her friends -- Mary Margaret, a school teacher in Anacostia, and her husband David, a Congressional Staffer with the idealism that envies the cast of  _ The West Wing.  _ Ruby, the animal rights activist, and Regina, a human rights lawyer. In turn, he introduces her to his people. Belle takes an immediate liking Emma, as does Smee. Robin, the aforementioned bartender, also gives her his approval. 

Slowly, but surely, their lives begin to meld together. They fill in one another about their work days. They attend happy hours together, brunches, grab fresh produce at the farmers market, basically doing all the sorts of things couples in this city do. Eventually, her friends begin hanging out at his haunts, and vice-versa. Robin the bartender meets Regina-the-lawyer, and before Killian knows it, everyone is getting coupled up.

It feels right.

Killian doesn’t want it to end. 

 

-/-

 

It’s not all sunshine and roses, of course, but nothing ever is. They fight -- about going to fast, not going fast enough, over her messiness, and his willingness to just throw money around, they ways in which she is closed off and when he lets his ego get in the way. They work it out though, one of them eventually apologizing to the other. And the fact that they make it through these fights gives Killian just enough motivation to think that perhaps Emma Swan might actually be the one. 

 

-/-

 

It takes one year and ten months after the day they met, three months after she finally moves into his condo, for Killian to buy a ring. He goes for something simple -- platinum band with a single solitaire diamond. He sends pictures to Liam and Elsa, shows Robin on a night when Emma is hunting down a skip. 

“Think she’ll like it?” he asks, tilting the box to and fro so the diamond can catch the light and sparkle. God, he can’t wait to see it on her finger. Assuming she says yes.

She’ll say yes.

She has to say yes.

“It’s not about the ring, but the person asking it, my bean,” Robin replies, with all the sage wisdom only a bartender could have, “but you probably could have splurged on a bigger diamond.”

“You are absolutely not getting a tip tonight.”

Robin rolls his eyes, and gives him a free beer in congratulations.

“I’m tell you I’m going to propose to the woman of my dreams, and all you give me is a pale ale? Really, mate, that deserves something top shelf…”

“The top shelf is reserved for when I see that ring on her finger.” 

“You’re an asshole.”

“And yet you’re somehow still friends with me. Riddle me that, my friend,” Robin teases. His expression then turns serious. “I truly am happy you, and she will say yes.”

 

-/-

 

This is Killian’s plan:

They’ll have lunch at one of her favorite places in Foggy, and then he’ll suggest walking to the Renwick for old time’s sake. There’s apparently an interesting exhibit focused on the portrayals of fairy tale characters in art -- Mary Margaret had been gushing about, and one of his interns had commented about how “everyone is going for the ‘gram” -- so it’s bound to be interesting.    
  
And then, when they get there, he’ll drop down to one knee, and ask her to be his wife. 

Assuming, of course, everything goes to plan. 

 

-/-

  
  


It doesn’t.   
  


 

-/-

 

Here’s the thing: Killian enjoys working for State. The benefits are good, and though he knows he’d get paid more as a lobbyist, his hours are stable and he has a better work/life balance than any of the Hill staffers he knows. He’s fine in his little federal government bubble, thank you very much. The biggest downside, along with navigating the bureaucracy of the US Government, is that every now and then his paycheck is affected by the whims of Congress and the sitting President. And, unfortunately, the whims and divided government are not in his favor, resulting in a government shutdown.    
  
The first few days he admittedly appreciates some time away from work. He sleeps in, and whenever Emma doesn’t have something to do in the early morning, they laze about in bed together partaking in very enjoyable activities. But as the shutdown lags, he finds himself eager to go back to work. He’s bored, and he honestly enjoys what he does. More importantly, he would also very much like to paid, along with everyone else whose world has been temporarily flipped upside down.    
  
Of course, there’s also a bit of selfishness present that has nothing to do with paychecks or the State Department.

“The Renwick is closed,” he sighs to Belle at the start of week two of the shutdown, as they sit on couch and binge the  _ War and Peace _ miniseries that came out the previous year. The anniversary of him and Emma meeting is fast approaching, the ideal date for a proposal. But the Renwick doesn’t have the funds, and is non-essential, so its doors remained locked.

“You can still go to other museums. The Spy Museum is still open.”

“The Spy Museum is a godawful tourist trap,” he replies, earning an eye roll.

“I’m just trying to help.” She pokes him in the side. Like him, Belle is also furloughed from her position at the Library of Congress. They had originally met via a setup of mutual friends, and though their romantic relationship went nowhere, a friendship had blossomed.

“I wasn’t looking for things to do. It was more about wanting to propose to Emma.”

“I know, I was just ignoring that part.” She gets off of the couch and stretches before heading over to his bookshelf. “How many times do we have to tell you that it doesn’t matter where you propose? It will be perfect no matter what, because you and Emma are perfect couple for each other.”

“You sound like Mary Margaret.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She selects a book from his shelf. “Can I borrow this?”

“It’s Emma’s. You can ask, but I’m sure she won’t mind.” He waves her off, and Belle tucks the book into her side with a smile. “I know logically you’re right, alright? But it hardly changes the fact that I’d like to propose to her there.”

“And I’d like to go work, get paid, and not have to worry about my student loans. But, we can’t always get what we want.” She casts him a significant look, and Killian can’t help but feel like a complete asshole. He realizes then how petty he sounded. 

“Shit.  I’m was a terrible person just now, wasn’t I?”

“Maybe not terrible, but single-minded.” Belle has never been one to let his idiocy pass by, but she manages to always call him out with tact. He appreciates that about her.  “Listen, Killian, you’re a romantic. It’s incredibly sweet, and I know Emma loves it. But don’t get caught up in your head waiting for the perfect moment or perfect place.”

 

-/-

 

He goes on a run the next day, forcing himself to get out of the condo. Emma is doing research on one of her skips, and he wants to give her space to work. Someone ought to be getting something done, and he knows she works better in silence. 

As he runs, he follows a familiar path by the Potomac. The water always relaxes his mind. Once upon a time, he’d flirted with the idea of purchasing a houseboat, but that had been a dream of both him and Milah. When she died, he couldn’t bear to go through with it. Probably for the best, though Emma enjoys going out on the water with him, he knows she’d be less than thrilled to live on a boat full-time. And, honestly? So would he. 

But, he still loves the water. He enjoys watching the way the sun sparkles off the surface and the sound of the gulls and ducks mingling with the light slapping of the waves against the concrete blockades. 

On a normal day, he would turn around whenever he reaches the Mall, but he has extra energy to burn and the desire to push through. It’s quieter than normal, no longer overcrowded with families on vacation of eighth-graders gathered around on their school trip. Tourists are still around, but with the museums being closed, there are fewer places on the Mall for them to go.  _ At least, _ he muses,  _ it’s not like the last go around where they shut down the monuments _ . The trash, however, might rate as high as the tourists on the list of things he can do without. With the National Parks Service closed, trash has been piling. Volunteers and the local DC government both have stepped in,but it’s still a tenuous task. 

Instead of sticking by the river, on whim Killian decides to cut across the mall. As he looks the right, he grimaces when he sees the Capitol Building. Gleaming white under the bright sun, it’s splendor is normally a beautiful sight, but today it only reminds him of dysfunction and everything currently going wrong.    
  
Every now and then, he would flirt with the idea of immigrating back to England. That had been an option shortly after Milah had died, but he hadn’t been ready to leave everything behind or the support system that he’d built. Besides, Liam had never been fond of Milah, and returning to London had felt like a betrayal to her memory at the time.    
  
Now, it’s not really option. Emma already has a strong support system here, and knowing her history, he’d be reluctant to ever ask her to give it up for him. Besides, even with a marriage, the immigration process is daunting enough. Emma needs to live somewhere where she didn’t need to count on his presence and their relationship to stay. 

So in America he stays.

_ Though with as much whining Liam has done about Brexit… _

He’s still unhappy with the mess. To a degree, part of his focus on the closing of the Renwick and the derailing of his engagement plan has been to distract himself from it all. He’s honestly one of the lucky ones. He has some savings -- far less after the purchase of the ring. Emma’s career, thankfully, isn’t tied to the shutdown, and though he loathes the pressure his current lack of income is placing on her, it could be worse. Belle doesn’t have anyone to help share the brunt of the lack of paycheck. He also knows many couples who both work for the federal government. So, he’s lucky. Has hasn’t been able to say a lot about that in his life, but with this he can. 

Besides, he will (eventually) ask Emma to be his wife, and once she (hopefully) says yes,he be the luckiest man on the planet. 

He runs to the Renwick, and stares forlornly at the closed doors. Technically, they’d met directly outside of those, but something seems off about asking right there. He runs his finger his hand through his hair, both Belle and Robin’s words playing through his head.   
  
Why does he want it to be such an event? Because Emma deserves something special. After everything she’s been through -- parental abandonment, bouncing from foster home to foster home, her stint in jail -- she deserves someone to make her feel special and adored.. 

With a deep sigh, he casts one last look at the Renwick, and turns to head home. 

Of course, that’s when everything changes.

 

-/-

 

“Emma, love?”  
  
The condo is quiet when he walks through to doors. He’s unsure if she’s home. She very well could be scouting locations. Regardless of what she’s doing, he plans to take a shower. He’s sweaty from his run, and knows he probably smells awful. But if she’s home, he might be able to coax her into joining him after he soaps off. 

He’s already worked his shirt off as he ambles into the bedroom, and he drops it when he sees her. Her eyes are red and her cheeks are splotchy -- it’s clear she’s crying. It’s then when he notices what’s in her hand. 

The ring box.

“I wasn’t snooping,” she says, the words spilling out when she sees his eyes fall to her hands, “not intentionally. My pen ran out of ink, and I knew you always kept a few extra in your bag, and...” She lifts the box. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. You didn’t know,” he replies. He’s let her rifle through his bag in the past for legal pads, pens, spare chargers, and even gum. He’d been hiding the ring in his bag if only because he hadn’t needed it the past few weeks. Originally, it had been hidden in his sock drawer, but after she had borrowed his socks once -- “they’re warmer,” she’d said -- he’d changed his hiding spot. Perhaps he ought to have kept it in place.

He’s suddenly afraid. The sight in front of him -- Emma, tears in her eyes, holding the ring box and apologizing -- settles on him like a heavy weight. His tongue feels heavy. Did he get it all wrong? They’d talked about their future before. She’d said she wanted this, didn’t she?

“Do you like it?” he asks, because that’s the only thing he can think to say. 

She laughs, the effect somewhat lost by the tears in her eyes. “ _ That’s _ what you want to ask me?”

His heart pounds wildly in his chest, and Killian wonders if she can hear it. “I want to ask you many things.”

“Yeah, but I think only one of them deal with a ring.” She extends her arm, and holds the box out to him. “So, are you gonna ask me or what?”

It takes him a moment to register what she’s asking. He takes in everything about her when it does. The green of her eyes, the upticked quirk of her watery smile, and the trembling of her hand. Even crying, she’s stunning.

Slowly, he takes the box from her, and drops down to his knee. He doesn’t have on a shirt and he smells of sweat, but he’ll do this right, at least. 

“Emma Swan, will you marry me?” His voice cracks. He doesn’t care.

“Yes.”

 

-/-

 

They celebrate with their friends a week later, two days after the shutdown ends. The mood at Robin’s bar is jubilant -- everyone happy to both celebrate the engagement and the return of their paychecks. 

“Wait just a second, you mean after all of that agonizing about the perfect proposal, you went and did it in your bedroom in nothing but your birthday suit?” Robin teases, his smile wide as Killian rolls his eyes.

“I had on pants, thank you very much,” Killian replies, struggling and failing to sound mad. He can’t be too annoyed. Robin carried through with his promise for free top shelf liquor, even after the restaurant took a beating due to the shutdown. Besides, Killian can’t quite take his eyes off the ring sitting on Emma’s finger.

“It  _ was _ the perfect proposal,” Emma adds. She bumps his shoulder, and if he smiles any wider, Killian is sure he’s split his face in two. “Besides, I happen like him shirtless.”

“It’s true, she does.” He gives Emma a salacious wink, earning a laugh. 

“Good thing you’re spending the rest of your lives together,” Mary Margaret chimes in from somewhere behind them. 

“Good thing,” Emma agrees, pulling him in for a kiss. A few of their friends cheer. He can hear Ruby shout ‘Get a room!’, but he doesn’t care. Emma Swan is going to marry him. 

That’s all that matters. 

  
  



End file.
